Reinforced shipping container for bathtubs



July 28, 1970 R. K. SMITH REINFORCED SHIPPING CONTAINER-FOR BA'IHTUBS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1969 INVENTOR. R/CHA RD K. SM/TH 7%7 awn July 28, 1970 R. K. SMITH REINFORCED SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR BATHTUBS Filed April 16-, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet w llnl l ll gM/I/" INVEN'TUR. R/CHARD if. SM/TH M I -M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,521,744 REINFORCED SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR BATHTUBS Richard K. Smith, Benton Harbor, Mich., assignor to Twin Cities Container Corporation, Coloma, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 816,495 Int. Cl. B65d 85/00, /02, 13/00 U.S. Cl. 206-46 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shipping wrapper for bathtubs of the type to which this invention relates is illustrated in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,825, and is satisfactory for most normal uses and will withstand normal handling during shipping and storage; however, this prior shipping wrapper sometimes lacked adequate strength for heavy tubs, such as those made of cast iron, to permit stacking of the wrapped tubs, particularly when they were stacked several high and/or stood on end. Various structures have been used to reinforce the wrappers, such as several layers or folds of the same material as the wrapper; however, this approach to the problem generally has been unsatisfactory in that the folds do not provide the necessary strength for stacking and, further, tend to make the ends and corners of the wrapper bulky and difficult to fabricate, fold and use. It is, therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a bathtub wrapper constructed essentially of corrugated paperboard which extends completely around the tub, which has substantial rigidity and sufiicient strength to withstand stacking and rough handling during shipping and storage, and which provides maximum protection to the tub at the places where the da damage is most likely to occur during shipping and storage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shipping container for bathtubs and the like which incorporates the simplicity and convenience of the aforementioned wrapper with the strength of a crate or rigid box or carton, and which, while depending partially on support by the tub structure, is self-supporting at the places where the wrapper is engaged by the surrounding wrappers when the filled wrappers are placed in a stack or stood on end.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrapper of the aforementioned type which can quickly and easily be shipped in a compact disassembled condition and thereafter readily folded about the tub and secured in place with the use of only one or two standard hand tools and with the use of essentially unskilled labor.

Additional objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present bathtub wrapper showing it fully enclosing a bathtub ready for shipment;

. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tub ready to be wrapped with the present wrapper;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the final steps in the wrapping operation;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the Wrapper and tub, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3; 5

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of a wrapper and tub in the condition illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6, lies flat before it is folded around a tub. The tub per before it is folded around abathtub;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of one of the reinforcing inserts; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of a reinforcing insert.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral 10 designates generally the present bathtub wrapper having a bottom panel 12, side panel 14, top panel 16 and side panel 18 connected together, preferably with a score line or indentation therebetween. The wrapper, as illustrated in FIG. 6, lies flat before it is folded around a tub. The tub 20, ready for enclosure by the wrapper, is illustrated in FIG. 2 and consists of the body portion 22, front apron 24, rear legs 26, and ends 28 and 30, and is considered conventional in construction, and is normally formed of sheet metal or sheet or cast iron, and is of a size used in homes, hotels and motels. The inside of body 22, the front of apron 24, and the top peripheral edges are covered with porcelain, enamel or other protective or decorative finish.

Each of the panels 12 through 18 of the wrapper is provided with flaps at each end for folding inwardly at the ends of the wrapper in the manner to be described more fully hereinafter, flaps and 42 being connected to panel 12, flaps 44 and 46 to panel 14, flaps 48 and 50 to panel 16, and flaps 52 and 54 to panel 18. These flaps are sep' arated by slots 56, 58 and 60 at the opposite ends of the panels. A flap 62 is provided along the edge of panel 18 for securing the wrapper in place about the tub. The wrapper is placed around the tub in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, with flap 62 of panel 18 secured to a longitudinal reinforcing member beneath the legs of the tub. The flap being secured by nailing or stapling to member 70 After flap 62 has been secured in place, the wrapper is placed around the tub and the longitudinal margin of bottom panel 12 is secured to flap 62 and to member 70 by stapling or nailing.

Reinforcing frame inserts '72 are seated in the opposite ends of the Wrapper after it has been placed around the tub, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3, and the flaps at each end of the wrapper are folded inwardly over the outside surface of the inserts and secured thereto by stapling. The inserts are made of wood strips consisting of members 74 and 76 on the top and bottom, as illustrated in FIG. 7, and side members 78 and 80. The members are firmly joined to the adjacent members by corrugated nails 82 or other suitable securing means, to form a rigid structure. The inserts are constructed separately from the wrapper and are inserted when the wrapper has been placed around the tub and flap 62 and the edges of panel 12 have been secured to longitudinal member 70 by stapling in the manner previously described herein. The two inserts are secured to longitudinal member 70' by nails 84 extending through member 74 of the inserts into the ends of member 70. The inside surface of each insert seats against the respective end of the tub and is held rigidly in place by member 70 by the flaps, after the flaps have been folded inwardly and stapled to the inserts. A protective panel 96 for giving added protection to the apron 24 is normally inserted in the wrapper against the face of the apron, when the wrapper is placed around the tub. Strips of material and 92 are also preferably placed along the upper edges of the tub ends for added protection.

A modified form of insert is illustrated in FIG. 8 in 3 which, for the purpose of the description, like numerals with primes have been given. to parts corresponding to the respective parts of the insert shown in FIG. 7. In the modified form, the member 80 extends parallel with member 78', thus leaving an extension 88 on member 76'. This form is somewhat easier to construct in that the joints are made by square cuts, and hence it is somewhat easier to assemble and has substantially the same strength as the form previously described herein. The ends of the vertical members may butt directly against the inner edges of the horizontal member or the members may be overlapped and nailed.

In the use of the present Wrapper, flap 62 is secured to longitudinal wooden member 70 by stapling in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, this strip preferably being attached to flap 62 when the wrapper is initially fabricated. The panels are placed around the tub and the outside marginal edge of panel 12 is secured to flap 62 and member 70 by staples or other suitable securing means. While the flaps at the ends of the panels are still extending outwardly parallel to the respective panels, the two inserts 72 are inserted in the ends of the wrapper with the inside surface of the two inserts seating against the respective ends of the tub and against the ends of member 70 to which the inserts are secured by nails or other suitable securing means. The flaps at the ends of panels 12 through 18 are then folded inwardly and secured by staples to the respective inserts.

While only one embodiment, and a modified form thereof, of the present bathtub container have been described herein in detail, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A shipping container for bathtubs, comprising four panels connected to one another for enclosing the front, top, rear and bottom of a tub, each panel having a flap at each end, a reinforcing member for forming a support for the rear of the tub and extending substantially the length thereof, a frame insert having the same general configuration as the transverse shape of the tub for each end of the container, means for attaching said inserts to the respective ends of said reinforcing member, and means for securing the flaps at the ends of said panels to said inserts.

2. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which said panels and flaps consist of corrugated paperboard and the panels are connected to form a continuous sheet-like member for extending completely around the tub.

3. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which said reinforcing member and frame inserts are constructed of wood.

4. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which said frame inserts consist of four members defining the general configuration of the transverse shape of the bathtub with an open center.

5. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which the panel for the rear of the tub includes a flap for attachment to said reinforcing member.

6. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 4, in which said reinforcing member and frame in serts are constructed of wood.

7. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 6, in which said panels and flaps are constructed of a continuous sheet of corrugated paperboard and the sheet is scored along the edges of the panels and at the tabs to facilitate folding.

8. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which said inserts consist of two vertical members positioned in spaced relation to one another and top and bottom members in spaced parallel relation to one another with the member corresponding to the top of the tub being longer than the member corresponding to the bottom of the tub, said members being joined at their ends to the ends of the adjacent members.

9. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 1, in which said inserts consist of two vertical members of equal lengths and positioned in spaced parallel relation to one another and top and bottom members spaced in parallel relation to one another with the member corresponding to the top of the tub being longer than the member corresponding to the bottom of the tub, said members being joined to one another to define a generally rectangular shape.

10. A shipping container for bathtubs, as defined in claim 8, in which said reinforcing member and frame inserts are constructed of wood.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

